Arecales: Classification: The Australian family Dasypogonaceae (also known as Calectasiacea), with four genera and 16 species, was traditionally allied with the family Liliaceae (lilies) but is now believed to be more closely related to the palms because of their common possession of ultraviolet-fluorescent compounds in the cell walls, a special…

Caledon River, tributary of the Orange River in southeastern Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg, on the Lesotho–South Africa border, and flows generally southwest, forming most of the boundary between Lesotho and Free State province, South Africa. Maseru, capital of Lesotho, lies on the river.

Caledonia, county, northeastern Vermont, U.S., bounded on the southeast by New Hampshire, the Connecticut River constituting the border. Piedmont terrain occupies most of the county except the northeastern corner, which lies in a highland region. The principal waterways are the Passumpsic,

typography: Mechanical composition: …two of which, Electra and Caledonia, have had wide use in American bookmaking. In the U.S., unlike England and the Continent, printers have relied far more upon Linotype than Monotype for book composition.

Caledonia, historical area of north Britain beyond Roman control, roughly corresponding to modern Scotland. It was inhabited by the tribe of Caledones (Calidones). The Romans first invaded the district under Agricola about ad 80 and later won a decisive battle at Mons Graupius. They established a

Gulf of Darién: …Panama coast of the gulf, Caledonia Bay is the site of remains of a 17th-century Scottish colony (New Caledonia), a shipwreck (the Olive Branch, sunk 1699), and a fortification (Fort St. Andrew, in use 1698–1700), all of which were discovered by archaeologists in 1979.

Caledonian Canal, waterway running southwest to northeast across the Glen Mor fault of northern Scotland and connecting the North Sea with the North Atlantic Ocean. In 1773 James Watt was employed by the British government to make a survey for such a canal, which would link together a chain of

Caledonian orogenic belt, range of mountains situated in northwestern Europe, developed as a result of the opening, closure, and destruction of the Iapetus Ocean in the period from the start of the Cambrian (542 million years ago) to the end of the Silurian (about 416 million years ago). The final

Devonian Period: Significant geologic events: …by a mountain-building event, the Caledonian orogeny, that established a mountain chain stretching from present-day eastern North America through Greenland, western Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland, and northern England and south to the fringes of western North Africa. Considerable igneous activity was associated with the Caledonian orogenic belt, both intrusive (emplacement of…

New Caledonia: History: …to bring to power the Caledonian Union (Union Calédonienne) party on a ticket of full self-government in local affairs. Progress toward self-government was made in 1957 when a Territorial Assembly was created with powers to elect an executive under the presidency of a high commissioner. In the 1970s the Caledonian…

Atom Egoyan: Egoyan followed those films with Calendar (1993), in which he starred as a Canadian photographer taking snapshots of Armenian churches for a calendar, and Exotica (1994), which depicts the interactions between a group of people associated with an exotic strip club.

Calendar, any system for dividing time over extended periods, such as days, months, or years, and arranging such divisions in a definite order. A calendar is convenient for regulating civil life and religious observances and for historical and scientific purposes. The word is derived from the Latin

Helen Mirren: In Calendar Girls (2003) she played a middle-aged Yorkshire woman who convinces her friends to pose nude for a calendar benefiting leukemia research. Mirren won both a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award and an Academy Award for best actress for The Queen…

biology: Botanical investigations: …historia et causis plantarum (The Calendar of Flora, 1761), in which the morphology, natural history, and therapeutic use of plants are described, Theophrastus distinguished between the external parts, which he called organs, and the internal parts, which he called tissues. This was an important achievement because Greek scientists of…

Aztec calendar: A circular calendar stone measuring about 12 feet (3.7 metres) in diameter and weighing some 25 tons was uncovered in Mexico City in 1790 and is currently on display in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The face of the Aztec sun god, Tonatiuh, appears…

Calender, machine that has wide application in the finishing of textile fabrics, the production of vinyl plastic sheeting, rubber sheeting, coated fabrics, and the manufacture of paper. The mechanized plain calender was in common use in the mid-18th century after having been introduced into England

Calendering, process of smoothing and compressing a material (notably paper) during production by passing a single continuous sheet through a number of pairs of heated rolls. The rolls in combination are called calenders. Calender rolls are constructed of steel with a hardened surface, or steel

Calendula, (genus Calendula), small genus of 15–20 species of herbaceous plants (family Asteraceae) found in temperate regions of Eurasia and North Africa. The pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) is grown especially for ornamental purposes and is commonly found in herbal products and cosmetics.

Calendula, (genus Calendula), small genus of 15–20 species of herbaceous plants (family Asteraceae) found in temperate regions of Eurasia and North Africa. The pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) is grown especially for ornamental purposes and is commonly found in herbal products and cosmetics.

calendula: The pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) is grown especially for ornamental purposes and is commonly found in herbal products and cosmetics. The petal-like ray flowers are edible and are sometimes used in salads.

Ambrogio Calepino, one of the earliest Italian lexicographers, from whose name came the once-common Italian word calepino and English word calepin, for “dictionary.” He became an Augustinian monk and compiled a dictionary of Latin and several other languages, published at Reggio nell’Emilia (1502).

Francesco Cavalli, the most important Italian composer of opera in the mid-17th century. The son of Gian Battista Caletti-Bruni, he assumed the name of his Venetian patron Federico Cavalli. In December 1616 he became a singer in the choir of St. Mark’s, Venice, under Claudio Monteverdi, whose opera

Calexico, city and port of entry, Imperial county, southern California, U.S. It is located at the southern end of the Imperial Valley and is separated from the city of Mexicali, Mexico, by a reinforced steel fence. Founded in 1900, Calexico was once a tent town for the Imperial Land Company. It

Scotland: Daily life and social customs: …traditional local custom is the ceilidh (visit), a social occasion that includes music and storytelling. Once common throughout the country, the ceilidh is now a largely rural institution. Sports such as tossing the caber (a heavy pole) and the hammer throw are integral to the Highland games, a spectacle that…

cow: …baby cow is called a calf. A female calf is sometimes called a heifer calf and a male a bull calf. A heifer is a female that has not had any offspring. The term usually refers to immature females; after giving birth to her first calf, however, a heifer becomes…

Calf roping, rodeo event in which a lasso-wielding cowboy or cowgirl moves from horseback to foot in pursuit of a calf. The contestant chases the calf on horseback, lassoes it, and dismounts to “throw” it down by hand (if the calf is down, the contestant must wait until it has regained its footing

Lambkill, (species Kalmia angustifolia), an open upright woody shrub of the heath family (Ericaceae). Lambkill is 0.3–1.2 m (1–4 feet) tall and has glossy, leathery, evergreen leaves and showy pink to rose flowers. It contains andromedotoxin, a poison also common to other Kalmia species (including

Calgary, city, southern Alberta, Canada. The physical setting of Calgary distinguishes it from other cities of the Prairie Provinces. It is situated on the western edge of the Great Plains, in the foothills of the spectacular Canadian Rockies (about 60 miles [100 km] to the west), and the

Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Calgary, Alta., Can., that took place Feb. 13–28, 1988. The Calgary Games were the 15th occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games. The city of Calgary first organized a bidding committee for the Winter Olympics in 1957; 24 years later it was

Calgary Flames, Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, that plays in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flames have won three conference titles (1986, 1989, and 2004) and one Stanley Cup championship (1989). The franchise was originally located

Calgary Stampede, exhibition and stampede (rodeo) held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, annually since 1923. The world-famous rodeo festival was started in 1912 by Guy Weadick, a former Wyoming cowboy, with the backing of major Alberta cattlemen. Held in July, it is a colourful 10-day celebration of

Canadian Football League: …are the British Columbia Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In the East Division are the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, Montreal Alouettes, and Toronto Argonauts.

University of Calgary, Public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1945 as part of the University of Alberta and gained full autonomy in 1966. It has faculties of education, engineering, environmental design, fine arts, graduate studies, humanities, law, management, medicine,

Petrobras scandal: …the president of the Senate, Renan Calheiros; the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Brazil’s legislature), Eduardo Cunha; and Lula’s former minister of finance, Antonio Palocci, who served briefly as Rousseff’s chief of staff before being ousted in a separate lobbying scandal. Also targeted were the…

Luiz de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3o count de Castelo Melhor, Portuguese royal favourite who, as effective governor of Portugal from 1662 to 1667 during the reign of Afonso VI, was responsible for the successful prosecution of the war against Spain, which led, in 1668, to Spanish recognition of

Calhoun, county, central South Carolina, U.S. It consists of a low-lying Coastal Plain region south of Columbia. At the southeastern extremity is Lake Marion, and the Congaree River forms the northeastern border. More than half the county is wooded, with pine forests predominant. Congaree Indians

Springfield, city, seat (1821) of Sangamon county and capital of Illinois, U.S. Lying along the Sangamon River in the central part of the state, Springfield is situated about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of St. Louis, Missouri, and some 185 miles (300 km) southwest of Chicago. Settlement of the

Calhoun, city, seat of Gordon county, northwestern Georgia, U.S. It lies near the Oostanaula River, 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Rome. Known formerly as Oothcaloga (“Place of the Beaver Dams”) and, later, as Dawsonville, the town was renamed in 1850 to honour the South Carolina statesman John C.

John C. Calhoun, American political leader who was a congressman, the secretary of war, the seventh vice president (1825–32), a senator, and the secretary of state of the United States. He championed states’ rights and slavery and was a symbol of the Old South. Calhoun was born to Patrick Calhoun,

John C. Calhoun, American political leader who was a congressman, the secretary of war, the seventh vice president (1825–32), a senator, and the secretary of state of the United States. He championed states’ rights and slavery and was a symbol of the Old South. Calhoun was born to Patrick Calhoun,

Lee Calhoun, American athlete, the first to win successive gold medals in the Olympics for the 110-metre hurdles. Calhoun competed for North Carolina College, winning national collegiate championships in the 120-yard hurdles in 1956 and 1957; he was national outdoor hurdles champion three times

Rory Calhoun, (Francis Timothy McCown [Durgin]), American actor whose chance meeting with actor Alan Ladd led him to a career as the rugged hero of a number of B westerns in the 1950s; he also starred in the television series The Texan in 1958–60 and appeared on the soap opera Capitol from 1982 to

Cali, city, capital of Valle del Cauca departamento, western Colombia. It lies on both sides of the Cali River at an elevation of 3,327 feet (1,014 metres), in the subtropical intermontane Cauca Valley. The city was founded on July 25, 1536, by Sebastián de Benalcázar. Cali did not develop

Somalia: Civil war: …Somali National Alliance (SNA) and Cali Mahdi Maxamed (Ali Mahdi Muhammad) of the Somali Salvation Alliance (SSA), tore the capital apart and battled with Siad’s regrouped clan militia, the Somali National Front, for control of the southern coast and hinterland. This brought war and devastation to the grain-producing region between…

Paolo Veronese, one of the major painters of the 16th-century Venetian school. His works usually are huge, vastly peopled canvases depicting allegorical, biblical, or historical subjects in splendid colour and set in a framework of classicizing Renaissance architecture. A master of the use of

Caliban, a feral, sullen, misshapen creature in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The son of the sorceress Sycorax, Caliban is the sole inhabitant of his island (excluding the imprisoned Ariel) until Prospero and his infant daughter Miranda are cast ashore. Shakespeare gives Caliban some complexity, with

Roberto Fernández Retamar: …of culture in Latin America, Caliban (1971), which refutes the ideas of the Uruguayan writer José Enrique Rodó. It also discusses Cuban writer and patriot José Martí, a frequent subject of Fernández Retamar. Todo Caliban (“All Caliban”) appeared in 2003. He also wrote such works of criticism as La Poesía…

Ernest Renan: Later writings: …acceptance of the Republic, especially Caliban (written 1877) and L’Eau de jouvence (written 1879; “The Water of Youth”). In the former, the aristocracy (Prospero and Ariel) loses to democracy (Caliban) because alchemical spells (traditional sanctions) are powerless against a people infected by positivism; scientific power politics would be an effective…

Calibre, in firearms, unit of measure indicating the interior, or bore, diameter of a gun barrel and the diameter of the gun’s ammunition; or the length of a gun expressed in relation to its interior diameter (now used only of naval and coastal defense guns). See b

measurement: Measurement instruments and systems: …quantity by a process called calibration. The comparison may be an analog process in which signals in a continuous dimension are brought to equality. An alternative comparison process is quantization by counting, i.e., dividing the signal into parts of equal and known size and adding up the number of parts.

Calibre, in firearms, unit of measure indicating the interior, or bore, diameter of a gun barrel and the diameter of the gun’s ammunition; or the length of a gun expressed in relation to its interior diameter (now used only of naval and coastal defense guns). See b

Vanga-shrike, any of the 15 species of Madagascan birds constituting the bird family Vangidae (order Passeriformes). The coral-billed nuthatch is sometimes included. They are 13 to 30 cm (5 to 12 inches) long, with wings and tails of moderate length. The hook-tipped bill is stout and of remarkably

Calcrete, calcium-rich duricrust, a hardened layer in or on a soil. It is formed on calcareous materials as a result of climatic fluctuations in arid and semiarid regions. Calcite is dissolved in groundwater and, under drying conditions, is precipitated as the water evaporates at the surface.

organosulfur compound: Reactions: Calichimicin (esperamicin) is a highly potent antitumour agent produced by bacteria of the Actinomycetales order and containing a pendant methyl trisulfide component (CH3SSS―). Acting much like a molecular “mouse trap,” cleavage of the sulfur-sulfur bond is thought to trigger a chain of events culminating in…

Calicivirus, any virus belonging to the family Caliciviridae. Caliciviruses have nonenveloped virions (virus particles) that are about 35–39 nm (1 nm = 10−9 metre) in diameter. They are icosahedral, with capsids (the protein shell surrounding the viral nucleic acids) composed of 32 capsomeres

Calicivirus, any virus belonging to the family Caliciviridae. Caliciviruses have nonenveloped virions (virus particles) that are about 35–39 nm (1 nm = 10−9 metre) in diameter. They are icosahedral, with capsids (the protein shell surrounding the viral nucleic acids) composed of 32 capsomeres

Calico, all-cotton fabric woven in plain, or tabby, weave and printed with simple designs in one or more colours. Calico originated in Calicut, India, by the 11th century, if not earlier, and in the 17th and 18th centuries calicoes were an important commodity traded between India and Europe. In

Western colonialism: English ascendancy in India: …in 1721 Parliament passed the Calico Act to protect English manufacturers, forbidding the use of calico in England for apparel or for domestic purposes (repeal of the act in 1774 coincided with inventions of mechanical devices that made possible English cloth production in successful competition with Eastern fabrics).

Harlequin cabbage bug, (Murgantia histrionica), a species of insect in the stinkbug family, Pentatomidae (order Heteroptera), that sucks sap and chlorophyll from crops, such as cabbage, causing them to wilt and die. Though of tropical or subtropical origin, this insect now ranges from the Atlantic

Mountain laurel, (Kalmia latifolia), Flowering evergreen shrub of the heath family, occurring in most mountainous regions of eastern North America. It grows to about 3–18 feet (1–6 metres) in height and has oval leaves. The rosy, pink, or white flowers appear in large clusters above the foliage.

Calico cat, In North America, a blotched or spotted domestic cat, usually predominantly white with red and black patches (a pattern also called tortoiseshell-and-white). Because genetic determination of some coat colours in cats is linked to the sex chromosome, calicoes are almost always

Chum salmon, (Oncorhynchus keta), lightly speckled North Pacific fish, family Salmonidae, weighing up to 15 kg (33 pounds). During the spawning season in autumn, it may swim more than 3,200 km (2,000 miles) up the Yukon River. (See also

Kozhikode, city, northern Kerala state, southwestern India. It is situated on the Malabar Coast, 414 miles (666 km) west-southwest of Chennai (Madras) by rail. Kozhikode was once a famous cotton-weaving centre, and it is remembered as the place of origin of calico, to which it gave its name (i.e.,

Calidris, bird genus in the family Scolopacidae (order Charadriiformes), which includes the shorebirds known as dunlin, knot, and sanderling (qq.v.). Some sandpipers are also classified as Calidris (see

Sanderling, (Calidris alba; sometimes Crocethia alba), abundant shorebird, a worldwide species of sandpiper belonging to the family Scolopacidae (order Charadriiformes). Sanderlings nest on barrens near the sea around the North Pole, and they winter on sandy beaches virtually everywhere. About 20

Dunlin, (Calidris alpina), one of the most common and sociable birds of the sandpiper group. The dunlin is a member of the family Scolopacidae (order Charadriiformes). It is about 20 cm (8 inches) long and has a bill curved downward at the tip. In breeding season, its plumage is brightly coloured,

knot: The common knot (C. canutus), about 25 cm (10 inches) long including the bill, has a reddish breast in breeding plumage (hence another name, robin sandpiper); in winter it is plain gray. It breeds on dry, stony Arctic tundra and migrates great distances along the coasts…

sandpiper: The white-rumped sandpiper (C. fuscicollis), which breeds in Arctic North America and winters in southern South America, is rust-coloured in breeding season but gray otherwise. The upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), also called Bartram’s sandpiper and, mistakenly, the upland plover, is an American bird of open fields.…

sandpiper: The purple sandpiper (C. maritima) breeds in foggy Arctic highlands, chiefly in eastern North America and northern Europe, and winters as far north as Greenland and Great Britain. It is grayish with yellow legs and bill and is easily approached in the field. Another Old World…

sandpiper: The least sandpiper (C. minutilla), less than 15 cm in length, is the smallest sandpiper. It is sometimes called the American stint and is abundant in Alaska and across sub-Arctic Canada to Nova Scotia. It winters on coasts from Oregon and North Carolina to South America.…

sandpiper: …Old World species is the rufous-necked sandpiper (C. ruficollis), which breeds in Siberia and winters as far south as New Zealand and Tasmania. The white-rumped sandpiper (C. fuscicollis), which breeds in Arctic North America and winters in southern South America, is rust-coloured in breeding season but gray otherwise. The upland…

ruff: …bird of the sandpiper subfamily Calidritinae (family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes) remarkable for its unusual courtship plumage and behaviour. The name ruff applies to the species or may be applied to the male only. In spring the 30-cm (12-inch) male acquires a double crest (“cape”) and a collar (“ruff”); these may…

Caliph, in Islamic history the ruler of the Muslim community. Although khalīfah and its plural khulafāʾ occur several times in the Qurʾān, referring to humans as God’s stewards or vice-regents on earth, the term did not denote a distinct political or religious institution during the lifetime of the

California, constituent state of the United States of America. It was admitted as the 31st state of the union on September 9, 1850, and by the early 1960s it was the most populous U.S. state. No version of the origin of California’s name has been fully accepted, but there is wide support for the

California Academy of Sciences (CAS), in San Francisco, oldest scientific institution in the western United States (incorporated 1853). The academy is situated in Golden Gate Park. Since the building’s redesign (completed 2008) by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, it includes a number of museums

Sweet shrub, (genus Calycanthus), one of two species of small ornamental trees of the family Calycanthaceae, with aromatic bark and sweet-scented flowers, both native to North America. The sweet shrub bush has opposite, simple, smooth-margined leaves. The petals of the brownish maroon to red

Francis Parkman: Literary career.: …book, in later editions called The Oregon Trail; Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life, became one of the best-selling personal narratives of the 19th century.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, American professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, that plays in the American League (AL). The Angels won a World Series title in 2002, their first appearance in the “Fall Classic.” The Angels began play in 1961 as one of two expansion teams (with the

California Aqueduct, principal water-conveyance structure of the California State Water Project, U.S. From the Sacramento River delta east of San Francisco, it runs south through the San Joaquin Valley and over the summit of the Tehachapi Mountains, a distance of 273 miles (440 km). At this point

extraterrestrial intelligence: Optical SETI: …number of institutions, including the University of California at Berkeley as well as Lick Observatory and Harvard University. The Berkeley and Lick experiments investigate nearby star systems, and the Harvard effort scans all the sky that is visible from Massachusetts. Sensitive photomultiplier tubes are affixed to conventional mirror

black oak: The California black oak (Q. kelloggii), a deciduous tree native to western North America, is occasionally 30 m tall. It grows at altitudes as high as 2,440 m above sea level, where its size is reduced to that of a small shrub; it often has a…

buckeye: Species: The California buckeye (A. californica) is endemic to California and southwestern Oregon and features sweetly scented white-to-pink flowers. At least two other possible buckeye species are known, though their taxonomy is contentious.

Victor Espinoza: …the jockey’s best efforts, however, California Chrome struggled to a dead heat for fourth place in the Belmont. In late 2014 Espinoza posted an improbable victory in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, when he won the Juvenile Fillies aboard 61–1 long shot Take Charge Brandi.

affirmative action: …California Civil Rights Initiative (Proposition 209), which prohibited all government agencies and institutions from giving preferential treatment to individuals on the basis of their race or sex. The Supreme Court effectively upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 209 in November 1997 by refusing to hear a challenge to its enforcement.…

California Coastal National Monument, protected offshore ecosystem extending along the entire 1,100-mile- (1,800-km-) long coast of California, U.S., from Oregon to Mexico. The monument, established in 2000, covers an area 12 nautical miles (13.8 statute miles, or 22.2 km) wide, reaching from the

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